Wins this week, as Johnson said, will do nothing to bring them close to their championship goal. The Nets are likely to finish as the fifth seed. Their focus will be less on actual results than on staying fresh and sharp through their final six games.

But a fourth win over the Heat would nevertheless be a striking accomplishment. Even when the Nets were struggling early this season, their hard-fought victories against the two-time defending champions suggested their title ambitions were not completely laughable.

Erik Spoelstra, the Heat coach, was well aware of his team’s struggles against the Nets — not only in the regular season, but in two preseason losses, as well.

“All we have to know about Brooklyn is we haven’t beaten them this year, including the preseason,” Spoelstra said on Sunday night.

Paul Pierce said the Nets, with their smallish lineup and open, flowing offense, were equipped to trouble the Heat.

“I think with this ball club, we match up with them pretty good,” he said. “Size-wise, they’re not an overly big team, so if you can match them in quickness and match them in intensity, especially on their home court, you give yourself a chance. The way we shoot the ball, we can pretty much play with anybody when we’re on.”

But Pierce, too, emphasized that a fourth win this season would mean little in a couple of weeks: “It doesn’t matter how many regular season victories you have, how many times you beat one opponent,” Pierce said, “because once the playoffs start, everybody is 0-0.”

REBOUNDS

Kevin Garnett will not play Tuesday night against the Heat. After missing 19 games with back spasms, Garnett played about 13 minutes on Saturday night. Garnett practiced on Monday, but Coach Jason Kidd said keeping Garnett out on Tuesday was part of the training staff’s prearranged rehabilitation schedule.